Paddling program reaches out to visually impaired

Shawano Cleary | Special to The Grand Rapids PressSue Fluri, who is blind, familiarizes herself with a kayak with the help of Steven Plaskey.

PORTAGE -- Sue Fluri paddled through small waves that gently lapped against Long Lake’s sandy shore. She headed toward the middle of the water but soon doubled back. Her guide caught up and set her on a straight course again.

Fluri, 53, gradually lost her sight to retinopathy of prematurity in her early 40s. She couldn’t see where she was going during a recent kayaking event, but she could feel the paddle in her hands and the boat underneath her.

She left the navigating to Mary Jo Isbrecht of Benton Harbor. After a leisurely float, the two returned to dry land.

“Take your left hand and turn the boat,” Isbrecht directed. Fluri obliged and coasted toward the beach with a smile.

Kayak for Light draws people of varying skill levels, including first-timers. Fluri has a good handle on basic techniques, having participated in the past five or six events.

“I think she was teaching me more than I was teaching her,” Isbrecht said.

Lee’s Adventure Sports in Portage lends their boats and Great Lakes Adventure Club in Kalamazoo offers volunteers.

Event coordinator Kenneth Nesbitt said most helpers were seasoned paddlers. Others had less experience, but all were able-bodied individuals ready to respond to emergencies. A life guard was stationed at the shore.

This year’s event drew about half the crowd that attended last year.

Shawano Cleary | Special to The Grand Rapids PressMichelle Nichols, who is visually impaired, steers her kayak toward shore as Steven Polaskey helps her with navigation.

“Sometimes, the word doesn’t travel quite as well,” Nesbitt said. “It’s a year you learn by and build from there.”

WMCKA member Dan Burton helped fit paddlers in appropriate vessels. He touted the benefits of sit-on-top kayaks for newbies and handicapped water lovers.

For one, they are easier to climb back into after a spill than boats with deeper seats.

“It’s a great beach boat,” Burton said. “It’s not the fastest boat on the water, but if your bouncing on the waves, it’s as stable as it gets.

“They’re less intimidating than getting in a cockpit.”

Tandem kayaks also were available for those who wanted their guides close. Others opted for a tow rope connecting two boats.

“It’s a sport that we love so much, and to help these people get in the water and be able to enjoy it, too, is really a thrill,” said WMCKA member Shelley Misenheimer, 50, of Chelsea.

Portage’s Michelle Nichols, 37, said she loves the feel of the wind. She has Type 1 diabetes, and her vision has deteriorated the past three years.

Nichols still can make out shapes, she said, but eventually her sight will be gone. Her situation has led to an increased love of nature.

“I’m turning into more of an outdoors person now that I’m starting to go blind,” she said.

Kayak for Light is a sister effort of Ski for Light, a nonprofit organization that allows visually and mobility-impaired adults to cross-country ski. Skiers are guided down a neighboring track while they maintain a running dialogue with their partners.

Fluri skied in the Michigan chapter’s event, which was held in January near Higgins Lake.

“I love cross-country skiing as well,” she said. “It’s definitely more of a physical workout.”

She said her activity level has remained consistent since losing her vision. She is on the lookout for fellow adventurers with good eyes.

“If there were other people to go out kayaking, I’d go in a heartbeat,” she said.